Hey everyone, I worked on designing the creative aspects of an attraction for my self defined final major project at university (BA Hons Illustration). Now that it's all finished (there's still lots more that could be done, really) I thought I'd show you.

The concept was to design something that would fit in with the long term development plan of Chessington World of Adventures, developing the adventure brand image, encorperating animal exhibits throughout the park, giving every member of the family something to do and unifying each area as a continental theme.

It looks great. I like seeing the whole thing all together. It is very thorough and definitely looks like something that would actually be built. Did you do a whole model, using the maquettes?
Thanks for posting and for the link to your blog with even more details, and the process.

Sure looks great! It looks like you have put a lot of effort and time in designing this project. As a designer myslef I sure appreciate the hard work.
However I would like to give you some points to help and encourage you to make it better a next time.
Make sure that, when the landscape is so important, as in such a ride, that you either spent equally much time on detailing the landscape as you did on the (for example) statues in your design.
Don't forget the color schemes. The colors you used, in such a large attraction will visualy be less intersting as it would when you use multiple colors. (for example you could have integrated some Cambodian street scenery, or ad some more color to signing, which should be 'noticed' for the audience) Also implementing different, but related, buildings would make the attraction more interesting. (The food and beverage stand, which you also situated in a temple structure, could easily be a jungle thached house, making it a point of relief for the visitor. The tension curve of your design implicates that the visitor will be fasinated by the temple style during the whole attraction. Unfortunatly, this rarely works. Visitors easlily will be distracted, so distract them before they have a change)
Also make sure that what you are designing qualifies building regulations for safety. (The rope bridge will with the triangle ropes will not be considered save). In you overall view (plan) you also might want to implement safety procedures, routing ect.

All begining is hard. When I first stared I figured I had the best design for an attraction ever. It was kind of disappointing to get the right critism, but it sure helped me to get better.

Ik hope my comments will help and most important encourage you to keep designing. Looking forward to your next project.

Those are fantastic comments, thank you so much for taking the time to look through it and go over them! I really agree that it could have desperately done with some colour here and there, and some change of scenery. Thinking about it now that you've said it it seems so obvious all the things I could have done with signage and stuff. Oh well. There's always next time!

With things like the rope bridge, I knew it wouldn't actually be possible, it was more designed to be a rough concept than a finalised plan. In my head I was thinking that, if it were real, it would be like Black Mamba's rope bridges, which are fully enclosed. But for the sake of this it was more just an artistic run with it. The only reason I even made the map plan was I felt I needed something to help me work out how guests would flow through a space and I needed something to help lecturers understand what they were looking at. But I feel like in making such a plan it makes it look like this is quite a serious final plan, not just an early concept._________________Art Blog: http://hajimesartblog.blogspot.com
Website: http://josephfells.co.uk
Theme Park Blog: http://hajimesthemeparkblog.blogspot.com/

I understand your work is still in early concept phase. However your work shows a very clear picture, so it appears (through the amount of details) 'finished'.
In early concept phase (prelimanery concept) you can concentrate on the experience (storyborad), which after will be bound by space, budget etc. When finalizing and presenting the concept you have to make sure you considered all elements involved. In our bussiness safety is an important factor in the design.
You can add an overleaf on your plan considering safety routes, and visitors routes. This will also give you a very clear picture on the points where the visitors need to be 'surpised'.

When I design (and happely, I do alot) I firts start with the experience after which I make a plan based upon the space. It gives me a clear view on the situation and allows me to fill in the experience.

No way, your feedback is invaluable! It's quite a new realisation for me that I wanted to do this. I've always made images, but It never occured to me that I could merge that interest with my love for themed spaces.

I think both times I have done a project like this now I've gone about it in a bit of a round about and backwards way, and I learnt so much from the first time when I did this one (which is the second time I've done it) that the first one is now laughable! So I can only hope that a third attempt would be better still, and feedback like you've given can only improve that ten fold. Knowing where to start is the most helpful thing. It's so easy for me to have a visual idea and run with it, when I really need to consider the more practical applications first - such as audience and narrative and how a space can be utilised. I'm an image maker before I am an imaginative mind, I think, and it's going to take some practise to develop my creativity.